Case studies : Personal adviser: Greig

Greig studied a degree in social sciences at the University of the West of Scotland before progressing to a Postgraduate Diploma in Careers Guidance and Education at Strathclyde University. He completed his postgraduate degree in 2009. He is now a personal adviser with Connexions Medway Youth Trust in Kent.

About halfway through my third year, I began to think about plans for after I graduated. My social science degree allowed entry to many occupations, therefore the difficulty was narrowing them down and knowing the deadlines.

My degree prepared me very well for postgraduate study. It gave me the skills to write essays, meet deadlines, participate in class discussions, contribute to group work and get into a study routine. My postgraduate course gave me the practical skills for both individual interviewing and group work. It also gave me the theory behind the tools that are used (even if it didn’t seem like it at the time!).

Gaining practical information about the job market was important during my study. I looked for this information mostly on the internet through websites such as the Glasgow Regeneration Agencies, Skills Development Scotland, Wise Group, Working Links, Jobcentre Plus and university and college websites. The other way I gathered general and vacancy information was through contacts I had gained during practical placements as part of my course.

I found the job market very competitive. There were many new graduates, and the main employer in my area (Skills Development Scotland) had a recruitment freeze. This meant that everyone was chasing the same jobs, and people from SDS were also applying for them. I would say that I had a 1:10 ratio of jobs applied for to interviews. I also used Maze8 - a recruitment agency in London.

The advice I would give to undergraduates is to think about job choices early in your studies. This will allow you to check out company websites and get in contact with employers. This could also give you the opportunity either to volunteer or work part-time with this company. At the same time, it gives the company a new contact. Colleagues from your course are also great contacts (so make friends!). There are jobs out there, so keep working on your CV and covering letters. And don’t give up.